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Gordon Hayward and the Utah Jazz had a front-row ticket to the late Kobe Bryant’s iconic final game in the NBA. “The Black Mamba” pulled off a performance that had the whole basketball world buzzing even after the final whistle had blown.
Bryant had 58 points when he was fouled by Paul Millsap with 14.8 seconds left in the game. The LA Lakers shooting guard hit the first free throw to bring him to the cusp of a stunning 60-point game.
Before the second free throw, Hayward stepped into the lane early, which would have given “KB24” another free throw. There was no violation called as the LA Lakers legend made another freebie to score 60 points.
Years later, Gordon Hayward, who was with the Boston Celtics by then, posted a series of tweets to debunk the popular belief:
“It has also come to my attention that there is a story going around tonight about an intentional lane violation that I took to ensure Kobe [Bryant] would get his 60th point in his final game and many are applauding me for the gesture. The fact of the matter is that is not true.”
Hayward added:
“That was a night that I will truly never forget as I can remember almost every moment of it and my goal that night was to compete as hard as I possibly could against Kobe because that is what he was all about and I wanted to give him my very best.”
Gordon Hayward went on to explain what made Kobe Bryant great:
“He got 60 on me and I didn't give him anything free all night. What happened on the free throw line was not intentional. Kobe would have lost respect for me if I gave him something free. That’s what made him so very special!”
Almost lost in history is the fact that the Utah Jazz went to Hayward to retaliate after Bryant made the score 99-97. Utah’s star player missed, allowing Jordan Clarkson to score at the other end to complete the LA Lakers’ iconic comeback.
Gordon Hayward tried to make Kobe Bryant work for his shots
Gordon Hayward was just one of a few players that then-Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder used on Kobe Bryant. Hayward, Rodney Hood, Joe Ingles, Shelvin Mack, Chris Johnson and Paul Millsap all had to guard “KB24” at different points in the game.
Utah didn't give him anything for free that night. Bryant took 50 shots to score 60 points. The LA Lakers legend was 6-21 from behind the arc.
Kobe Bryant struggled but he came up big when the Lakers needed him most. “The Black Mamba’s” 60th point was also the 15th straight scored by his team. In all, he had 23 points in the final quarter.
